This is the first time the college has entered a production as a
"participating" entry in the Kennedy Center American
College Theater Festival (KCACTF), meaning that the fully mounted
production – including the set, lights, props, costumes,
makeup, etc. – will be performed in the competition.
"The Saint Plays," by Erik Ehn and directed by assistant
professor of theater Michelle Milne, will be performed at the
festival twice on Friday, Jan. 9.

"This is a huge honor, and places Saint Plays among the top
college and university productions in the country," said
Milne.

"The Saint Plays" are a series of six short plays that
link saints from the past with ordinary people. Exploring the
connectedness between historical saints, contemporary life, earthly
existence, spirit and eternity, "The Saint Plays" are
about Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, St. Eulalia and St. George who
fought a dragon. In addition, Ehn wrote a special piece about St.
Rose of Viterbo, one of the two saints that mark former Goshen
College student Deanne Binde's birthdate.

Binde, a junior Roman Catholic student, touched the lives of many
people on campus during her years as a communication and theater
major. After her death in a car crash in May 2008, Milne, who had
taught and directed Binde, decided to stage "The Saint
Plays," by Ehn, a Catholic award-winning,
internationally-renowned playwright who has previously explored
theatrical responses to the genocide in Rwanda and works to promote
peace building through the arts.

Though Ehn, dean of the theater program at the California Institute
of the Arts, did not know Binde and hadn't written a play
about the saint connected with Binde's birthdate, he quickly
offered to write a piece about Rose of Viterbo and Binde's
life when Milne contacted him. In the play, Ehn included stories
about Binde and quotes by her.

"I find it deeply meaningful that a play honoring the spirit
of Deanne continues to live on in this way, and I am so happy that
the students have an opportunity to share their work with a larger,
regional audience," said Milne. "This was a challenging
but rewarding process, and being selected for the festival
reaffirms the value of all the hard work they put in over the past
semester."

There were 41 participating productions for the ACTF Region III,
and eight were chosen to be performed. The other schools are:
Oakland University, Purdue University, University of Indianapolis,
University of Michigan-Flint, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay,
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Western Illinois
University.

"As a department, we have long felt that we have the quality
of work to offer to our region, but it took extra urging to push us
to the next level of competing," said Doug Liechty Caskey,
professor of theater and department chair. "We've been
holding back because of the relatively small budget and personnel
that we have to work with."

Goshen College student actors have also received individual
nominations for their acting or design in several of the recent
productions.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an
interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau
Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or
jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian
liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition.
The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate
learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and
servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the
church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term
program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's
Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction,"
"Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News &
World Report's "America's Best Colleges"
edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit
www.goshen.edu.